David Moyes reveals the reason for his Italy trip – report

Having been spotted in Italy yesterday, the Manchester United manager reportedly told people he was "on holiday".

The Manchester United rumour mill cranked up a few notches yesterday, after manager David Moyes was seen watching the match between Juventus and Cagliari.

A whole host of players’ names were mentioned in gossip columns and message boards, most of which had been previously linked with a move to Old Trafford.

There were the usual if unlikely suspects such as Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba, along with the slightly more realistic options of Claudio Marchisio and Davide Astori. But according to Italian website Tuttosport, Moyes had another reason for spending a little time in Italy, and apparently it had nothing to do with work.

The report claims that at half-time, and facing an apparent onslaught of reporters, Moyes said he was in the country on holiday, and was not there to observe anyone in particular.

“Sardinia is beautiful even in winter,” the report concludes, “but not everyone believed him.”

Of course there is no telling if the manager was simply playing his cards to his chest or enjoying a break before the big games ahead.

Vincent Ralph

After graduating with a degree in English Literature, Vincent completed a NCTJ-accredited qualification in newspaper and magazine journalism in 2005. Shortly after, in a somewhat leftfield move, he began working at a secondary school in Kent. After eight years – the last four of which were spent as Head of Sixth Form – he began to write full-time, combining his love of football with his passion for the written word.Alongside his work for HITC Sport, he also writes film reviews for HITC Lifestyle… along with the odd music interview when fate allows.